Buoy for locating sunken vessels.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

A.A HATTAN. BUOY FOR LUCATING SUNKBN vBssELs.

APPLIOATION FILED IAN. 4. 1905.

2 SHEETS-#SHEET 1.

No. 798,787. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

A.HATTAN. Y

BUOY FOR LOGATING SUNKEN vEssBLs.

'APPLICATION FILED (IANA, 1905.

X5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD HATTAN, OF KINGSTON, CANADA.

BUOY FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed January 4,1905. Serial No. 289,570.

To @ZZ whom, t muy concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD HATTAN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Kingston, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoys for Locating' Sunken Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to buoys, and more particularly to buoys designed for locating sunken vessels, the object of the invention being' to provide a simple and efficient construction which may be placed upon the deck of a vessel, so that should the-vessel sink a buoy or marker will be released to float upon the surface of the water while tethered by means of a cable, so as to indicate the location of the vessel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the housing and the buoy supported thereby, parts of the structure being' shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement of the knives for releasing the ring on the second cable. Fig. 4 is a detail View showing a portion of the first cable with its double snap engaged with the ring of the second cable.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a housing 5, which may be of any desirable shape, although in the present instance it is shown as rectangular, and hinged to the top of the housing is a cover 6, which is shaped to drain from it the rain that may fall thereon. The cover projects beyond the walls of the housing'. Through the cover 6 is formed an opening 7, and surrounding this opening' is a funnel-shaped wall 8, which forms a holder for a buoy 9. The housing 5 is secured upon the deck of a vessel in upright position, and the buoy is freely movable from the holder 8, so that should the vessel sink the buoy will rise and will float upon the surface of the water. In order that the buoy may correctly indicate the location of the vessel, it is provided with a tether in the form of a cable 10, which cable is connected at one end to the buoy, as illustrated, and at its other end is passed through the opening 7 into the housing 5, where itis wound upon a drum 11, carried by a shaft l2, journaled in the sides of the housing' and provided with a crank 13 for rotating it to correspondingly move the drum and wind the cable thereon. The end of the cable is not attached to the drum, so that the cable may pass entirely from the drum. In the lower portion of the housing' 5 is a second drum 12', carried by a shaft 13', journaled in the sides of the housing' and provided with a crank 14 for rotating the drum to wind thereon a second cable 15, one end of which is attached securely to the drum, while the opposite end is provided with a ring 16, through which the cable 10 passes, and which ring is of such size that it may pass freely through the opening' 7. Cords 1T are attached to the ring 16 and, passing' over depending' knives 18, are attached to the under side of the cover 6, so that if the ring be drawn upwardly the cords will be broug'ht against the knives and will be cut thereby to release the ring.

At the inner end of the cable l0 is secured a double snap-hook 2O of such size that it will not be drawn through the ring' 16 and when attempt is made to draw it through the ring will be operated to snap onto the ring, and thus connect the cable 10 with the cable 15. If the depth of the water is such that in order for the buoy to lioat on the surface the entire cable 10 will be unwound from the drum 11, the snap-hook 2O will be drawn upwardly and into engagement with the ring 16 and will then draw the ring out through the opening 7, causing the cords 17 to draw across the knives 18 and cut the cords to release the ring, when so much of the cable 15 as may be necessary will draw from the drum 12. be understood, of course, that in shallow water a part only of the whole cable 10 will be paid out, whereas in deep water both cables will be paid out.

The cover 6 is hinged to the body of the housing' 5, and to hold it in closed position weights 21 are connected thereto through the medium of links 22.

The upper portion or top 23 of the buoy is hinged to the lower portion or body thereof and covers a compartment 211, which is designed to receive such documents as may be desired to place therein, and upon the buoy will be marked in any desired manner the name and possibly the hailing port of the vessel carrying the apparatus.

It will IOO It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed ist l. An apparatus of the class described comprising a housing having a buoy-holder and an opening leading therefrom into the housing, of a buoy removably disposed in the holder, a cable attachedV to the buoy and passed through the opening into the housing, a drum on which the cable is wound, a second drum in the housing, a second cable wound upon and attached to the second drum, a'ring at the unattached end ofthe second cable through leading from the holder into thel housing, a winding-drum mounted within the housing, a cable wound upon the drum and unattached thereto, one end of said cable being passed through the opening of the housing and attached to the buoy, a second winding-drum mounted in the housing, a second cable woundv upon and attached at one end to the second winding-drum, a ring at the unattached end of the second cable through which the lirst cable is passed, said ring being of a size to pass through theopening of the housing, knives within the housing, cordsk attached to the housing and ring and passed across said knives, said cords being movable along the knives when the ring is moved upwardly, whereby the cords will be cut, and means carried by the inner end of the first cable for engagement with said ring.

In testimony whereof I aEX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIBALD HATTAN. n

Witnesses:

INNIS L. SNooK, JAMES BRADDEN. 

